Rodarte

Summary

American brand of clothing and accessories, Rodarte, was launched in LA by Kate and Laura Mulleavy. The romantic, conceptual design aesthetic and how the sisters see the world though the prism of nature, art, film, poetry, culture and music, caught the discerning eye of almost every editor.

History

The Mulleavy sisters began designing in their parents’ kitchen in Pasadena California. They had no formal training in fashion design and just gave wings to their passion after leaving college to return home in 2002… and created a capsule collection using their savings. The label ‘Rodarte’ is the original Spanish pronunciation and spelling of their mother’s maiden name, Rodart. Following their capsule collection of seven dresses and two coats, the sisters traveled to New York City and in no time graced the cover of Women’s Wear Daily. This led to a meeting with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour who flew to Los Angeles to meet the sisters.

The Mulleavys were on a roll. With an eye for dramatic creations that blurs the line between fashion and art.. the duo created costumes for Oscar Academy Award-winning film Black Swan for which the 16th Annual Broadcast Film Critics Awards nominated Kate and Laura for the ballet costumes. In 2007 the fashion brand released limited-edition shirts in collaboration with Gap- and two years later- a limited edition line with Target. The capsules which made headlines- however- was in collaboration with Coach and Cole Haan. Rodarte’s aesthetic has evolved since. Per The New Yorker.. the fashion brand was described as “the fashion equivalent of a Basquiat. People in the know really love it but to everyone else it’s inscrutable or a little bit ugly.”

That said.. Rodarte is in the permanent collections of Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art- Fashion Institute of Technology Museum in New York- Los Angeles County Museum of Art- and Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In 2008 the brand was featured in Artforum.. In May 2011 Rodarte contributed artworks to a project in LA County Museum. That year Museum of Contemporary Art- Los Angeles opened Rodarte: States of Matter- the first West Coast museum exhibit of Rodarte’s fashion and costume designs. The following year LA County Museum of Art acquired Rodarte Spring 2012 Couture and displayed the collection in its Italian renaissance gallery.. alongside renaissance art.

The designer duo also collaborated on special projects with Frank Gehry and Gustavo Dudamel on the LA Philharmonic’s production of Don Giovanni.. Benjamin Millepied on costumes for the New York City Ballet’s Two Hearts.. and L.A. Dance Project’s Moving Parts. In 2018 W was full of praise for the duo’s showing in Paris. “Though showing their ready to wear label during couture season, away from their home base in New York, had its risks, the sisters are proving that 12 years into their brand they’re operating at the top of their game.”

The sisters still work out of their headquarters is a cozy downtown L.A. loft in a former Federal Reserve Building but they must be doing something right till date… with their collections continuing to garner critical acclaim. Per Vogue, “The Mulleavys have the right idea for how to do that for a millennial generation that dreams big and dresses cozy. Let’s see how they balance it all out on their return to the New York runway this fall.”  And when they’re not designing wearable art they’re writing and directing a feature film. In 2017 the sisters released ‘Woodshock’ at the 74th annual Venice film festival. The film was written and directed by the Mulleavy’s.. and starring Kirsten Dunst.

Vision

Luxury fashion brand Rodarte’s vision has always been creativity and innovation and sheer beauty at the risk of their apparel not seeming wearable. The design aesthetic that they dreamt about since their teenage days took shape in the form of wearable art, praised by every fashion editor worldwide.

Mission Statement

“To design for anyone to wear, and I think that was all the design inspiration we needed.”

Key Team

Siblings Katherine “Kate” Mulleavy and Laura Mulleavy founded the fashion brand Rodarte in 2005. In addition to their work in fashion, the sisters diversified into film, writing and directing ‘Woodshock’ as well as co-designing costumes in ‘Black Swan’.

Products and Services

Womenswear like dresses.. shirts.. skirts.. sweatshirts and pants complemented by accessories- all designed and handmade by applying couture-like craftsmanship to ready to wear. They have also launched a beautiful line of bridal wear.

Awards and Recognition

Kate and Laura Mulleavy  have several illustrious awards in their folio including CFDA Swarovski Emerging Womenswear Designer and Stella Swiss Textiles Award in 2008; CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year, United States Artists Grant, and Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Fashion in 2009; National Arts Award from Americans for the Arts in 2010; Legend of Fashion Award from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2013. In 2010, Annual Broadcast Film Critics Awards nominated Kate and Laura for the ballet costumes they designed and produced for Darren Aronofsky’s film Black Swan. In 2011, their first solo show Rodarte: States of Matter, opened at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, and later that year, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art presented Rodarte: Fra Angelico Collection, a collection of ten couture gowns. Rodarte is also the first fashion house to be awarded National Art Award from Americans for the Arts in 2010. They have also staged several exhibitions at sites including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and designed for Target.

References

• Wiki page of Rodarte Wikipedia
• Rodarte Ready To Wear 2020 BoF
• Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy: Fabricators LA Times
• Rodarte founders’ profile BoF
• Rodarte on Their California Inspirations The Cut
• Coach and Rodarte’s capsule collection is rock ’n’ roll romance perfection Glamour
• Ready to Wear: After a Long Flirtation, Art and Fashion Have Wed Observer
• Rodarte runway reviews BoF
• The Full Rodarte for Target Look Book The Cut
• Vogue profiles Rodarte Vogue
• Rodarte Teams Up With Cole Haan Forbes
• Youtube channel of Rodarte Youtube
• Kate and Laura: Life in Parties W
• LinkedIn account of Rodarte LinkedIn
• Kate and Laura Mulleavy Talk Fashion Off and On the Runway WWD
• Instagram account of Rodarte Instagram
• Kate and Laura’s Weirdworld BoF
• Facebook page of Rodarte Facebook
• Twisted Sisters New Yorker
• Twitter account of Rodarte Twitter
• Rodarte Brings a Vision of Loveliness to Paris Haute Couture W